Expand North Star 2024: Europe & UK at Forefront in Dubai

Dubai Harbour will host the 9th edition of Expand North Star from October 13-16, 2024, marking the event’s largest-ever participation from European and British start-ups. As a key component of GITEX GLOBAL, the world’s largest tech event, Expand North Star is set to showcase over 2,000 start-ups, with more than 400 from Europe and the UK.

Organized by Dubai Chambers and the Dubai World Trade Centre, this landmark event will feature innovations in Agritech, AI, Climate Tech, Fintech, Health Tech, HR Tech, Mobility, Creative Economy, SaaS, and more. Notably, Germany will debut as a new country pavilion with 40 start-ups, followed by Ireland, Poland, Latvia, Austria, and Portugal.

The UK will make a significant impact with 50 start-ups exhibiting, doubling their 2023 participation. France, Italy, and Turkey will also return with strong delegations. Omar Hassan, Managing Director of Global Growth Hub, highlighted the enthusiasm for this year’s showcase, noting the diverse sectors represented, including FinTech, AI, Sustainability, and EdTech.

With the UK’s start-up ecosystem valued at over $1.1 trillion and home to more than 150 unicorns, this year’s event offers a crucial platform for scaling up and forging impactful regional and global connections.

Investors will have unprecedented access to opportunities at Expand North Star. European start-ups saw a 31% funding increase in Q2 2024, reaching nearly $16 billion, outpacing Asian counterparts for the first time quarterly. Key investors, including SpeedInvest, H Tree Capital, Startup Wise Guys, and Prediction Capital, will be on hand to explore new ventures.

Attendees will also connect with over 65 global unicorns, featuring companies like Volocopter, BitPanda, and Climeworks. This year’s event promises a dynamic agenda, with opportunities to engage with influential tech leaders and participate in the Supernova Challenge, the world’s largest pitch competition with a $200,000 prize.

Expand North Star, part of GITEX GLOBAL’s 44th edition, will run alongside Dubai’s tech mega event from October 14-18 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, presenting 6,700 companies from 180 countries across 41 halls.